Process for selecting bone for transplantation

Abstract

A procedure for determining a plan for cutting a bone sample for use as an implant provides scanning the bone with a CT scanning system to provide slice images of the bone. The scanning system then determines the cortical or cancellous bone dimensions and density of the bone. Determining such dimensions and density permits accurate planning and preparation of an implant graft that is correlated to the predetermined plan without waste of bone through cutting test specimens to determine the bone parameters. Other images techniques that provide slice images are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for evaluating donor bone suitable for implant preparation comprising:
 a. non-destructively imaging a donor bone, prior to implantation, using a three-dimensional imaging scan at one or more sites of the bone; 
 b. measuring parameters of the donor bone from the scan image, wherein the measured parameters include measurements chosen from a group consisting of bone volume, bone density, mineral density, and size and position of a canal; 
 c. assessing, by a processor, the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into a given implant configuration based on the measured parameters; and 
 d. cutting the donor bone into at least one implant if the donor bone is assessed to be suitable for fabrication into the given implant configuration based on the measured parameters. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1  wherein the donor bone is registered or oriented in space before cutting. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1  wherein the implant configuration is marked on the donor bone. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 formulating, by the processor, an implant cutting plan after assessing the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into a given implant configuration based on the measured parameters. 
 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 4  wherein the donor bone is cut into a plurality of implants based on the implant cutting plan. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 4  where the cutting plan is formulated from a computer based model. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 6  where the model is scalable. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 5  wherein the donor bone is cut manually. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 5  wherein the donor bone is cut by an automated device. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 1  wherein the imaging step comprises scanning by computed tomography. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 1  wherein the imaging step comprises scanning by peripheral computed tomography. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 1  wherein the imaging step comprises scanning by magnetic resonance imaging. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 1  wherein the imaging step comprises scanning by gamma-ray computed tomography. 
     
     
       14. A process for evaluating donor bone suitability for implant preparation, comprising:
 a. non-destructively imaging the donor bone, prior to implantation, using three-dimensional image scanning at one or more sites on the donor bone to obtain at least one scan image of the donor bone; 
 b. measuring parameters of the donor bone from the at least one scan image, wherein the measured parameters include measurements of bone volume, bone density, mineral density, and size and position of a canal; 
 c. extrapolating from morphometric measurements to dimensions at another skeletal site on the same or another bone; 
 d. determining, by a processor, the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into a given implant configuration based upon extrapolated implant geometries and the measured parameters; and 
 e. cutting the donor bone into at least one implant if the donor bone is determined to be suitable for fabrication into the given implant configuration based on at least one of the extrapolated implant geometries and the measured parameters. 
 
     
     
       15. The process of  claim 14 , and further comprising:
 marking an implant configuration on the donor bone. 
 
     
     
       16. The process of  claim 14 , and further comprising:
 formulating, by the processor, an implant cutting plan after determining the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into the given implant. 
 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 15  wherein the donor bone is cut into a plurality of implants based on both the extrapolated implant geometries and the measured parameters. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 17  wherein the donor bone is cut manually. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 17  wherein the donor bone is cut by a computer assisted device. 
     
     
       20. The process of  claim 14  wherein the imaging step comprises producing the image by computed tomography. 
     
     
       21. The process of  claim 14  wherein the imaging step comprises producing the image by peripheral computed tomography. 
     
     
       22. The process of  claim 14  wherein the imaging step comprises producing the image by magnetic resonance imaging. 
     
     
       23. The process of  claim 14  wherein the imaging step comprises producing the image by gamma-ray computed tomography. 
     
     
       24. A process for evaluating, by a processor, donor bone suitability for implant preparation comprising:
 non-destructively assessing cortical thickness at one or more preselected sites of the donor bone prior to implantation; 
 storing or writing the assessed cortical thickness in computer memory; 
 determining, by the processor, the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into a given implant configuration based upon the assessed cortical thickness; and 
 cutting the donor bone into at least one implant if the donor bone is determined to be suitable for fabrication into the given implant configuration based on the assessed cortical thickness. 
 
     
     
       25. The process of  claim 24  including measuring the donor bone to within +/−0.005 mm accuracy. 
     
     
       26. The process of  claim 24  including measuring the donor bone to within +/−0.01 mm accuracy. 
     
     
       27. The process of  claim 24  including measuring the donor bone to within +/−0.1 mm accuracy. 
     
     
       28. The process of  claim 24  including measuring the donor bone to within +/−0.5 mm accuracy. 
     
     
       29. The Process of  claim 24  including measuring the donor bone to within +/−1.0 mm accuracy. 
     
     
       30. The process of  claim 1  wherein said process is employed as a method for determining critical attributes of bone related to predetermined release specifications for the bone for either processing or final product specifications. 
     
     
       31. The process of  claim 14  wherein said process is employed as a method for determining critical attributes of bone related to predetermined release specifications for the bone for either processing or final product specifications. 
     
     
       32. A method of formulating a bone implant cutting plan, comprising:
 non-destructively assessing, by a processor, the three-dimensional morphometric measurements of a donor bone, prior to implantation; 
 measuring parameters of the donor bone including bone density and mineral density; 
 assessing the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into a given implant configuration based on the three-dimensional morphometric measurements and the measured parameters; 
 formulating the cutting plan if the done bone is assessed to be suitable for fabrication into the given implant configuration; and 
 cutting the donor bone into at least one implant based on the cutting plan, 
 wherein said cutting plan identifies cutting locations on said donor bone, and said cutting plan is stored in computer memory or used to generate a work order. 
 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32  wherein said three-dimensional morphometric measurements are derived from a model selected from the group consisting of a mathematical model, a statistical model, a neural network model, and a computer model. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 32  wherein said cutting plan identifies bone which may be processed to provide a subset of bone implants having one or more specified dimensional, strength, or physical characteristics. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 32  wherein said cutting plan identifies dimensions and shapes which may be obtained from the donor bone having specified morphometric measurements. 
     
     
       36. A method for processing donor bone for implantation comprising:
 a. non-destructively assessing and imaging a donor bone, prior to implantation, using a three-dimensional imaging scan at one or more sites of the bone; 
 b. measuring parameters of the donor bone from the scan image, wherein the measured parameters include measurements chosen from a group consisting of bone volume, bone density, mineral density, and size and position of a canal; 
 c. assessing, by a processor, the donor bone's suitability for fabrication into a given implant configuration based on the measured parameters; 
 d. formulating, by the processor, an implant cutting plan if the donor bone is assessed to be suitable for fabrication into the given implant configuration based on the measured parameters; and 
 e. cutting the donor bone into multiple implants based on the implant cutting plan.